Process of rendering joints of sheet-metal vessels hermetically tight.



No.'699,592. Patented MayB, I902.

W. THOMPSON.

PROCESS OF BENDERING JOINTS 0F SHEET METAL VESSELS HERMETIGALLY TIGHT.

(Application filed Mar. 26. 1902.)

(No Model.)

. m ucl:l :51 Wm WITNESSES: I INVENTOFLI v mrfiw ATTORNEYS UNiirnn STATES rnr OFFICE.

XVALTER THOMPSON, OF TORONTO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN MURPHY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF RENDERING JOINTS OF SHEET-METAL VESSELS HERMETICALLY TIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 699,592, dated May 6, 1902.

Application filed March 26, 1902. Serial No. 100,004. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER THOMPSON, a subject of the King of England, residing in Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Processes of Rendering the Joints of Sheet-Metal Vessels Hermetically Tight; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of sheet-metal vessels, such as tin cans and the like, and it has reference particularly to the method of rendering the joints of such vessels liquid and air tight.

The common method of rendering such joints hermetically tight is to solder the same on one or both sides. Another and oftenused method consists in interlocking the rebent meeting edges of the metal and compressing them into intimate contact with each other at all points.

The advantages of the hereinafterdescribed method consist mainly in the production of a perfect and leak-proof joint or seam at a considerable reduction in cost.

My method will be described with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing as an illustration, said figure being an enlarged sectional view of a lock-joint in a sheet-metal vessel, showing the result secured by my method.

In carrying out my method the joint is first produced. It is preferable that it be a lock-joint, though this is not absolutely essential. It is then immersed in a bath of palm-oil or some'other suitable liquid which has been heated to a temperature higher than the melting-point of the tin. The result is that, as at a, where the surfaces of the coating of tin Z) on the sheet metal 0 converge the said tin coating runs together into one integral fused body, thus sealing up all possible interstices in the joint. Just as soon as this running together of the tin occurs the can or other vessel is withdrawn from the bath,

- whereupon the molten body of tin quickly sets and hardens. Thus the undesirable carrying away or uneven disposing of the tin on other parts of the joint or on the vessel itself is avoided. This method is found not only to produce an efiective result in point of du rability and of being leak-proof, but a result which is less expensive to produce and perfectly neat in appearance.

I wish it to be understood that my method is not absolutely restricted to the employment of palm-oil, for other fluids may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of forming an hermetic joint or sealbetween laminated layers having fusible metallic coatings, which consists in immersing said layers, with their coatings proximating, in a bath composed of a suit able fluid having a temperature higher than the fusing-point of said coatings, until said portions fuse and form one integral body, and then removing the same from the bath and allowing the fused portion to set, substantially as described.

2, The process of sealing the joints of sheetmetal vessels having a coating formed of fusible material which consists in immersing the joints to be treated in a bath composed of a suitable fluid and having a temperature higher than the fusing-point of said coating until the coatingis fused and then removing the joints from the bath and allowing their fused portions to set, substantially as described.

The process of forming an hermetic seal in the joints of sheet-metal vessels having a fusible coating which consists in immersing the joint to be treated in a bath of palm-oil heated to a temperature higher than the fusing-point of said coating and maintaining said joint therein until said coating'is fused and forms one integral body and then removing the joints from the bath and allowing their fused portions to set, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of March, 1902.

\VALTER THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, ROBERT J. PoLLrrr. 

